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Well, the Irish pub is a phenomenon around the world. The wholesome blend of traditional, rustic décor, folk music, good-humour and Guinness seems to strike a note in many cultures. From its Dublin base, the Irish Pub Company’s tentacles stretch to over 40 different countries. The itinerant nature of the Irish means you’ll often find a bona fide Irishman propping up the bar, and this is no truer than in London. With a large, tight-knit Irish community, London’s pubs will be buzzing with the welcoming sound of Gaelic laughter and sloshing pints of Guinness.
 Waxy O'Connors 14 - 16 Rupert Street, W1D 6DF Tacky O'Theme Pubs are busy enough on a normal week night, filled with all the office workers chasing a pint and a snog, but come St Patrick’s Day they get absolutely rammed to the rafters with jubilant revellers. The parade goes right by this one so this is perfect for a pit-stop. The cavernous interior, spreading across six levels, means it can only maintain a little bubble of atmosphere in each section, as well as a live band upstairs that won't disturb those who just fancy a bit of a blether. Nevertheless, the whole place will be a sea of Guinness, sing-song and good cheer on the day (and you can catch the rugby the day before). Make sure you stay close to your friends though – this place is massive and easy to get lost in. Address: 14 - 16 Rupert Street, W1D 6DF Phone: 020 7287 0255 Nearest Station: Leicester Square Tube Waxy O'Connors - Information   Filthy MacNasty's68 Amwell Street, EC1R 1UU Keeping to its no-frills attitude, there’s "nothing special" going on at Filthy McNasty’s for St Patrick’s Day. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt the Irish punk pub will be packed out with its usual mix of unkempt youngsters, ageing barflies and weird and wandering individuals celebrating the most Irish of days. It’s pleasant enough inside with photos of counter culture and music icons hanging on the walls and a traffic light in one corner which looks like a set of particularly drunk students have dragged it in. The atmosphere in here is consistently loud and rowdy so expect March 17th to be squashed, beer-drenched and plenty of fun. Address: 68 Amwell Street, EC1R 1UU Phone: 020 7837 6067 Nearest Station: Angel Tube Filthy McNasty's - Information  Hammersmith & Fulham Irish CentreBlacks Road, W6 9DT The Hammersmith and Fulham Irish Centre takes St Patrick’s Day very seriously, or at least as seriously as such an euphoric celebration can be. All year round the centre strives to promote Irish culture in London. The venue itself is nothing special, it’s a basic unadorned hall, but it’s bursting with Celtic atmosphere. The acclaimed Dublin City Working Men’s Band will be performing on 17th March. This is energetic stuff which will have the crowds singing and dancing along to celebrate their nation's saint. Authentic atmosphere, traditional music, and cheap drinks – what more could you ask for? Address: Blacks Road, W6 9DT Phone: 020 8563 8232 Nearest Station: Hammersmith Tube Hammersmith & Fulham Irish Centre - Information  Corrib Rest76-80 Salusbury Road, Queen's Park, NW6 6PA North West London’s Irish community will be out in force to celebrate their national day, which means the Corrib Rest will be awash with a green-clad mob. From lunchtime onwards there will be live bands enthusiastically twanging guitars and fiddling away right into the night and a showcase of Irish sport on the big screens including hurling and Gaelic football. Wait for the evening to get going when you’ll be treated to some wild, full-of-life Irish dancing. This is where the pub scenes in 'Spaced' were filmed, and they chose it because it's a proper, old-style London Irish pub, and a real change from the new gastro places that are springing up all over the area. Address: 76-80 Salusbury Road, Queen's Park, NW6 6PA Phone: 020 7625 9585 Nearest Station: Queen's Park Tube Corrib Rest - Information  Quinns65 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NY At first glance you wouldn’t put Quinn’s down as an Irish pub – put the name aside and what you have is simply a great pub, not just another soulless Celtic-branded pub, a la O’Neil’s. The Irish landlord and the fair smattering of punters from the Western Isle are what makes it Irish and this is reflected by the pleasant, convivial atmosphere. The beer selection will strike you (but not with its Irishness) – a long polished bar stretches away into the distance with over 20 pumps serving beers from all over the place, and possibly the best bottled selection in the capital. Of course you can get excellent Guinness, but the pub is particularly notable for German and Belgian beers. It gets pretty raucous on St Patrick's Day, so be prepared. Address: 65 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NY Phone: 020 7267 8240 Nearest Station: Kentish Town Tube Quinns - Information  The Tipperary66 Fleet Street, EC4Y 1HY As London’s oldest Irish pub, there’s no better place to guzzle Guinness this St Patrick’s Day. Founded in 1700, by Dublin brewer SG Mooney, this lofty, narrow, boozer was the first place to sell the black stuff, both bottled and draught. Suffolk’s Greene King bought the Tipperary in the 1960s and restored it to its 18th-century beauty. The floor mosaic is intricately peppered with shamrocks, while the walls are panelled in a rich dark wood. Downstairs and up, the pub is slung with huge mirrors and faded prints of Dublin and Cork. Typically, you’ll come across a whole bunch of tourists claiming some sort of vague Irish ancestry visiting this charismatic little pub. St Patrick’s Day, as a consequence, will be a blast. Green hats, a whole host of rosy faced revellers knocking back Guinness and maybe even a fiddler. Arrive early, as it’s a fairly small pub and will no doubt be crammed with very thirsty, very raucous patrons desperate to get to the bar. Address: 66 Fleet Street, EC4Y 1HY Phone: 020 7583 6470 Nearest Station: Blackfriars Tube/Rail The Tipperary - Information  Auld Shillelagh132 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0JX Most importantly, the Guinness in this soothingly dark little Celtic den is nothing short of exceptional. Smooth, bitter, creamy and rich – they serve up divine pints of the black stuff. A refurbishment has done no end of good without rupturing the age-old Irish artery that pumps Celtic tradition through the pub. St Pat's Day will be a proper big bash down in Stokey - heaps of hats, green shirts, dancing and of course drinking. The pub may even get in a live band and be serving up boiled bacon and cabbage. Address: 132 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0JX Phone: 020 7254 0959 Nearest Station: Manor House Tube Auld Shillelagh - Information  Coach & Horses42 Wellington Street, WC2E 7BN Occupying a prime location just off Covent Garden Piazza, this pub promises a hedonistic St Pat's party purely on the basis of its location rather than any particular effort on the pub’s behalf. Jovial folk will pile into the pub early on the day having feigned sickness and escaped the confines of their nearby offices. Many a discerning Guinness guzzler has enjoyed a fine pint of the black stuff in this pub and even more argue they serve the best Guinness in the West End - it's the real Irish stuff, imported all the way from Dublin. If Guinness isn’t your favourite Irish tipple, revellers can still sample one of the 80-odd Irish whiskeys behind the bar. We also recommend lining the stomach and gobbling down the chunky hot Limerick ham sandwiches. The décor is refreshingly unfussy, just a few theatre posters and a curious golfing theme adorn the walls. Address: 42 Wellington Street, WC2E 7BN Phone: 020 7240 0553 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Coach & Horses - Information  Anam3 Chapel Market, N1 9EZ We Londoners cherish the old, festering, traditional pubs of the capital (yes, we even love the stale smell of booze and sweat - now there’s no smoke to mask it). However, you can add touch of glamour to your St Pat’s Day celebrations at London’s only Irish cocktail bar. Retro-trendy and always busy, this pioneering bar is unlike any of the capital’s other Irish drinking venues. It’s the winning drinks list that really makes the place stand out. You just have to sample the collection of outlandish cocktails designed by famous mixologist Tony Conigliaro of Zuma and Shumi fame. From premium brand spirits like Belvedere and Grey Goose vodka to seriously rare whiskeys such as Kilbeggan, Tyroconnell and Middleton Very Rare, his creations come from the finest ingredients. Address: 3 Chapel Market, N1 9EZ Phone: 020 7278 1001 Nearest Station: Angel Tube Anam - Information  Did you know?- The largest Guinness brewery outside Ireland is found in Nigeria. - The Guinness Book of Records was first published in 1955, after a pub debate over the fastest game bird could not be settled using existing reference books. It's been a hit ever since with new records being added and old ones broken every year. |
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